It’s been a busy year for Katy Crosby.
Just seven months into the job, the Zebulon town manager has found herself in a key role, helping steer the town through the aftermath of a state audit, the exit of two out of three town finance employees, and the sometimes harsh public criticism of how the town has managed taxpayer dollars.
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Tuesday, in her first public interview since the audit was released, Crosby said progress is being made to fix the town’s financial situation.
“It's no secret that we definitely are playing catch-up on some things related to our finances,” said Crosby. “And so each day I'm just trying to make sure that we are making sure that we're good stewards of the public's money.” The state audit, released in July, found a lack of financial oversight, and overspending from the town’s general fund, among other issues.
Just weeks later, the town’s longtime finance director, Bobby Fitts, left his role. So did a town accountant, Andrea Peters. Fitts said his exit was a long-planned retirement.
According to Crosby, a search is now underway for a new finance director. She hopes to have someone in place by the end of the year.
In the meantime, Crosby notes an outside accounting firm, Cherry Bekaert, has stepped in.
“They're also another eye from the outside being able to look and assess how we're doing and then giving us feedback on how we can improve,” said Crosby.
In a bid to boost transparency, Crosby has also added quarterly financial briefings during town commissioner meetings.
“That's one of the things that I committed to with the board,” said Crosby.
The briefing Crosby gave Tuesday showed there’s still work to do. The town needs to plug a $1.72 million hole in next year’s budget. Crosby said officials will be working on filling that gap over the next few weeks.
Town commissioners have also worried publicly about the strain the finance department is under.
Some Zebulon residents, like middle school teacher Aimee Joslin, are also skeptical the town will be able to fix these issues.
“We've seen a lot of turnover in some very important positions in our local government, and we're feeling the effects every day," said Joslin. "And as a homeowner, we're concerned about our taxes. Like, are they spending our money efficiently and effectively? It doesn't sound like it."
The town will also be getting more state oversight. On Friday, the Local Government Commission, which provides state resources, guidance and oversight of local finances, announced Zebulon has been added to a list that includes Cary and Rocky Mount, and will face increased scrutiny going forward.
Crosby acknowledges there is work to do. But she’s hopeful she and the town can get it done.
“A year from now, I hope that we have solid internal controls, that we have documented processes, that we have clarity around our systems internally, and that we have stability,” said Crosby.